I’m a foreign national living and working in the US (specifically in southeast Michigan).
Have you had run-ins with US Customs & Border Patrol while cycling close to border areas (US-Canada border, US-Mexico border or any of the coasts)? These areas are shown in the map below.
Have you had a situation where a RealID driver license was not accepted in lieu of a passport?
(A RealID driver license is issued after verifying valid work authorization\citizenship. Such driver licenses usually have a gold star on the top right of the driver license).
In Michigan (and some other border states) you can get an “Enhanced” licence which functions the same as a passport for land boarder crossings with Canada. Its a step up from the basic RealID complaint license. However, you have to be a US citizen to get one since its kind of like a mini limited use US passport.
Your issue likely happening specifically because you’re a foreign national. Technically if you are not a citizen or a permanent resident, you’re supposed to have your “papers” with you at all times showing your authorization to be in the US, including your passport. Day to day that does not come into play all that often but when you’re close to a border, your chances for running into the nice folks from Border Patrol go way up. (FWIW-they can be pretty jerky to Americans too - don’t take it personal)
Our latest government (Ontario) that they are discontinuing “enhanced” driver’s licenses as a cost cutting measure as the participation was fairly low. Unfortunately I cannot justify a NESSUS card so plain old passport for me.
Yes, I’ve heard that Americans cycling in the Tucson area (in Arizona) do get harassed sometimes by US Customs. I can’t get an EDL, but my DL, being RealID, is a step-up from the regular driver licenses. I need to show passport, visa etc. to obtain a RealID-ceritified driver license.
I live in the metro Detroit area, very close to the Canadian border (less than 20-25 miles away), and I haven’t been asked to produce paperwork - yet.
I live in southeast Michigan too. I’ve run across a decent number of foreign nationals in the groups I ride with and i have never heard of any of them being hassled while riding by Border Patrol or police over their status. Between the auto industry visa workers and transferees as well as several pretty big ethnic communities, there are tons of foreign nationals living in the Detroit area so you’re unlikely to run into anyone in authority who will even raise an eyebrow much less be freaked out by dealing with a non citizen.
I don’t think a RealID helps you with CBP or ICE. It’s identification, so it’s useful to have in case you interact with the police, but it’s not a registration document.
Technically, you are supposed to always carry some registration document. A passport with visa works, as does a green card, I-94, etc.
Realistically, the “always” is not much enforced. At least in the north-east corner of the US, I have never seen CBP anywhere except actual ports of entry. ICE is a different matter, but they operate anywhere and generally only show up if you’re under arrest for other reasons (or working without a visa).
On the West Coast you’ll likely only see customs & border patrol in San Diego and along Interstate 5 most of the way to Orange County. Its been awhile since I crossed the Canada-USA border on I-5, but back in the day I only saw patrols at the border.
My parents lived in El Paso Texas back in the 80s, and my sister arranged a bike ride with friends (I borrowed a bike from the nephew of current US Treasury secretary Yellen) . We illegally crossed the Rio Grande River into Juarez Mexico, and legally came back thru the main border crossing. It was surprisingly easy to cross into Mexico.
This kind of goes without saying and doesn’t really address OP’s issue, but as a backup / last resort I assume we all already have scans of passport / work permit /etc. saved in the local memory of our phones so we can access them even without an internet connection, right? It’s technically not enough but still definitely better than having nothing!
Exactly. I’m on a work permit in southern Africa. So, I carry a paper printout of my passport photo page and work permit in my framebag. And the same, as photos starred in my camera roll.
I was mostly speaking to those of us that aren’t citizens of where we live or that are more likely to get profiled based on appearance. But it’s a PSA/reminder for everyone really - whether it’s a passport or a work permit or a drivers licence or just a government issued photocard we all probably know we should keep a local copy of any relevant ID on our phones but it’s really easy to just never get around to doing it (seeing the original post made me realise that all my docs are currently in dropbox so I can only access them if I have an internet connection).
I’ve lived in Detroit my whole life. I have never heard of CBP stopping anyone that wasn’t at the actual border (except maybe if you’re on the water). Since the only ways to cross are by bridge, tunnel, or water, there’s no need to have agents roaming around town.
Metro Detroit has a huge non-citizen population and most of them are legal, so there’s little value to randomly searching people. But local police could always ask for ID for whatever reason.
I am white, so admittedly I’m unlikely to encounter CBP, but I have worked with many ex-pats and they haven’t had issues.
In any case, you should have photos of your documents in your phone and a photo copy in your saddle bag so you don’t have to give CBP or cops your phone.
While I’ve never had any direct run-ins with the CBP, I’ve heard stories from some mates. In general, carrying a Real ID or a passport should cover you for ID purposes. However, the RealID might be a bit more convenient to carry around on a bike.
On a lighter note, it’s crazy how realistic fake IDs can get. Check out this best Ohio fake ID I came across. Crazy stuff, right? But remember, always stick to the legal route! They offer some really well-made IDs.
Looking forward to hearing about your cycling escapades, mate. Keep the rubber side down and stay safe!
Because it was brought back up, you can also get a US Passport Card to go along with your actual Passport. Might only in actuality be valid for travel to/from Canada and the US, but I can’t see it not working for an encounter on the US side of the border.
I thought that the ‘enhanced’ license had an RFID chip. and that seems like a lazy was of dealing with US citizens reentering the country, and given that RFID chips are easily read at some distance, they are inherently insecure. I passed on the enhanced ID. I did have to get the ‘RealID’ gold star.
For a foreign national riding their bike around the border areas of this country, I would strongly advise you to be aware of the state that you are cycling in or through. Some states have politicians that are in a battle with the federal government as to who can treat you like a piece of garbage, and they think they win. US visa holder or not, some states feel they can pack you in a plane (bus) and ship you to another state.
Be careful. Check with the ACLU, and potentially other groups as to what you should do. (I’d also recommend staying out of some states for your own good) It is not safe for immigrants and visa holders, or even people that look a certain way to be in some areas of some states. I’m sorry it’s gotten to that level, and hope you are safe doing what you love. Just be careful. Not everyone respects human rights these days.
About US Customs: I was ‘detained’ entering the US from a ‘short cut’ through Canada. Apparently I did it too quickly, and they decided I needed to be ‘held’ in a room with some surly looking middle easterners for a while. I was allowed to reenter the country I was born in, and the next time my dog was in my car he went berserk! ‘Some other dog has been in here!’. He was focused on the smells and wouldn’t relax in the car for the longest time. Weird… All (I think) for wanting to get home quicker. Canada seemed glad to get rid of me.
EDIT: I’d get the RealID, if you can. Seems to prompt fewer questions. Carrying around a passport also invites it to be lost. Just be safe…
I got the card back years ago, and now it seems to be of less importance. More countries that accepted it are now looking for a ‘real’ passport. I won’t get it again. It seemed like a great idea, just flash a card and get entry, but most (all) Caribbean countries aren’t taking it anymore, and I heard Mexico isn’t either, and Canada might be on the list of dropping it as a form of ID soon.
If I go out of country, I’ll carry my card, but also my book, just in case. I was amazed at the number of people at the last cruise I took who were denied on the cruise because they had inadequate documentation. That would be such a crushing thing to happen. And if I have to carry my passport ‘JIC’ they don’t take my card, might as well just ditch the card and save some money…
Not so sure. It used to be good for Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, and some Caribbean countries, but now it seems some countries are requiring more information, or a standard passport.
I bring it and use it because the last time I tried t use it, I was asked for a passport. Driver’s license didn’t work either. Weird, but the card seems to not work as well as it was originally planned to.
I’m British and live in San Diego. The only time I’ve been stopped was at the CBP stop on S.R 94. I was riding with a group of mates (2 Americans, 1 Brit and a “Dreamer”). The CBP guy asked us all where we were from but didn’t ask the Brit (me) or the Americans for any further info and then proceeded to spend a solid amount of time questioning my other mate about his immigration status before sending us on our way.
I can vaguely understand him “doing his job” but it was a little suspect that he didn’t quiz/check my immigration status any further than hearing my nationality!
